ORLANDO, Fla. /Florida Newswire/ — As our country faces a pandemic and signs of a nation divided, the need for hope and happiness is greater than ever before. Renowned artist and proud American Mateo Blanco has seen these signs and is making a stand for unity through his art.
Blanco created “July 4, 2020,” a portrayal of the American flag made from his clothing. Each of the iconic colors making up the flag not only has meaning to this country, but to Blanco personally. The white fabric was made from a shirt he often wore while studying at Florida Atlantic University as he worked hard to not only gain knowledge but wisdom. The red stripes are created from his lucky interview shirt, something he typically wore while spreading his art and message with others. The blue swatch was from the favorite blue workout shirt he wore when trying to get healthy.
All fabrics and colors used in the piece represent Blanco putting his best foot forward, which is exactly what he’s encouraging all other Americans to do.
“As a principle, everything I do is through love and happiness,” said Blanco. “But right now, everywhere I look in my beloved country, I see pain – we are separated. In order to overcome our struggles, we must individually put our best selves forward and unite as a nation.”
This isn’t the first time Blanco has used fabric in his art. He’s also created “Coat of Many Colors,” a portrait of Dolly Parton; and “Joseph, Coat of Many Colors,” a tribute to Jewish history. In fact, Blanco is known for his whimsical use of unusual mediums like Smarties(r), coffee beans and rope.
“Typically, my work is light-hearted and fun. I create my art to spread joy,” Blanco said. “However, for ‘July 4, 2020,’ I knew I needed to use my platform to share a bigger message. We must come together as a united country.”
Although “July 4, 2020” was created this year, its inspiration goes all the way back to the 1950s. After admiring Jasper John’s Flag painting, Blanco thought that while this was a beautiful representation of America in the past, it wasn’t reflective of the society we’re currently living in. He immediately got to work to create a modern representation of this famous piece, giving it his own unique twist.
“July 4, 2020,” along with other works by Mateo Blanco, including “Hopi Girl,” made from rope; “Ellen,” a portrait of Ellen DeGeneres made from coffee beans; and “Desire,” a series of Madonna portraits which change when viewed from different angles, can be purchased through the Rosenbaum Contemporary gallery in Boca Raton, Florida.
About Rosenbaum Contemporary:
Rosenbaum Contemporary, founded in 1979, is based in Boca Raton, Florida. The gallery caters to international collectors interested in investment-quality works by Postwar, Modern and Contemporary masters and presents nationally recognized museum-level exhibitions throughout the year. The gallery also offers a wide range of free services to collectors worldwide including acquisition advice, art consulting, sourcing of artists, art collection building and management and resale of select works of art.
Learn more at: https://www.rosenbaumcontemporary.com/artists/157-mateo-blanco/works/9997/
Follow Mateo on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mateoblancoart and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mateoblancoart/
*Photo caption: Mateo Blanco by Carlos Amoedo.
